Mother's little helper in liquid form
Categories: Just for moms, Eating & nutrition, Life & style, In the news, Playground bureau
"Things are different today,"
I hear ev'ry mother say
Cooking fresh food for a husband's just a drag
So she buys an instant cake and she burns her frozen steak
And goes running for the shelter of a mother's little helper
And two help her on her way, get her through her busy day.
-The Rolling Stones "Mother's Little Helper"
Between the proliferation of kid activities, the increased expectation of parental involvement, and the demands of work AND home, today's mothers are being pulled in more directions than ever before. How are modern mommas getting more hours in their day? It's not a pill like the Rolling Stones sang about.
A study by The National Sleep Foundation found that 65% of mothers regularly drink caffeinated beverages to make it through their day. And we're not talking just a cup or two, Sarah Kripal, mother of two from Lincoln, Nebraska admitted, "I need about four energy drinks, three cups of coffee and a six-pack of soda every day." Lindy Smith, a mom of three says, "I usually drink two to three pots of coffee a day. I am sure this is not good for me, but how do you keep up?"
In spite of research that coffee can reduce inflammation and decrease blood sugar levels, caffeine can trigger migraines, heartburn, gastrointestinal problems and put women at an increased risk of miscarriage. And unlike the original Mother's Little Helper, liquid energy requires no prescription is readily available in various sweetened and foamy forms (vanilla lattes are my weakness!) in nearly every city in the nation, making it easy for busy moms to grab a delicious cup of jet-fuel whenever energy levels sag.
No doubt about it, caffeine is a hard habit to break and current lifestyles make it hard to imagine why we'd even try giving up the one thing that helps us squeeze more hours into a day.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Jan Bay 6-30-2008 @ 12:55PM
I spent the day with a friend recently noticed that she kept mentioning how glad she was to get out of the house as well as constantly referring to the fact that her children were driving her crazy. The children were being normal children but there was nothing cranky, fussy, or outrageous going on so I just marked it down to a case of cabin fever with the kids at the time.
After some shopping we went to get a bite of lunch and I noticed that when our lunch was being served that she excused herself to go to her car. She returned to the table carrying a can of Red Bull that she poured over the ice in her glass and drank with her lunch.
She had had coffee at Starbucks before we went to the mall a few hours previously and now she was taking in more caffeine and within 10 to 15 minutes of finishing the Red Bull, it was clear that her nerves were jumping!
The thought crossed my mind whether or not our friendship could survive the suggestion that she might not find her children so irritating if she weaned herself from so much caffeine.
Jan from http://www.unique-baby-gear-ideas.com/
Reply
Nicola 6-30-2008 @ 3:24PM
I was totally decaffeinated prior to the birth of my son. And actually remained so for approximately the first year of his life. And then came the exhaustion, the demands of working full time, parenting full time, caring for a home and all of the other responsibilities of life. Plus, a kid who would not freaking sleep through the night (he is 4 1/2 now and JUST started sleeping through the night this year). I had a caffeinated beverage one afternoon at work, a day when I literally kept falling asleep at my desk, and before you know it, I'm at my current level of intake -- at least two Mtn Dews before I leave the house in the morning, another one the minute that I sit down at my desk, another part way through the morning, and so on. I drink 8-10 Mtn Dews a day. Every day.
Shall we talk about the glass of wine that settles me down after the boy goes to bed at night? Thank goodness for unregulated "medicated beverages" :-)
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Pavlina 6-30-2008 @ 3:51PM
I jusy love the taste of coffee! We have one of those gourmet cup machines, so I usually have 2 cups of coffee and one cup of chai each day, plus the one I have in my car on the way in.
On the weekends I usually just have the one cup in the AM, then a tea in the afternoon. I don't drink soda, so I think it's ok.
Thinking of what Jan Bay wrote, I'll have to track more when my kids are really being naughty or if it's mommy's caffeine!
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Crystal 6-30-2008 @ 4:38PM
Two Venti Ice Coffees and One Venti Black Ice Tea DAILY, or else! lol
I didnt drink that much coffee when before I had kids. I was totally 100% decaf for my first pregnancy. But with my second, I had to indulge. My first was going on 2, and there was no way I could keep up without a kick in the pants.
When my second was born, I continued drinking coffee just to get through the day. And I was nursing. It took me about 1 1/2 months to figure out the reason my daughter was so cranky all the time was the caffeine. (DUH!?!) So, I had to eliminate coffee for awhile...
Now she is weened, and I've fallen (hard) back into my habit. And it doesnt help that I absolutely love teas and coffee. Oh well.
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Jenn 6-30-2008 @ 11:57PM
Wow....I was thinking I've been drinking a lot of caffeine with my two cups of coffee & one cup of tea a day, but now I don't feel so bad!
I dropped to a max of one cup of coffee OR one cup of tea a day during my pregnancy, and gave up soda entirely (I still don't drink soda on a daily basis), and while I was BFing I gave up all caffeine. Now that we're going to try again soon, I guess I should drop back again. But man, caffeine doesn't give me a tremendous punch, but it certainly helps with the waking up in the morning!
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